


Brothers in Everything but Blood

by LadyAriadna



Series: Never Truly Gone [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Best Friends, Brotherhood, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brothers, F/M, Family, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Minor Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Not Beta Read, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Pepperony - Freeform, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), more characters added if needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-04-12 05:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19125559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAriadna/pseuds/LadyAriadna
Summary: Harley knew Peter Parker but they weren’t close, not yet at least. More like long-distance classmates? Fellow interns? Something like that. In an alternate universe, it may have been different. Maybe they could’ve been best friends, brothers even, but now that they’re only link was gone, Harley’s sure - as with most things in his life - this one’s gonna end as well.





	1. Meeting Peter Parker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing Harley so I’m kinda nervous for this. I hope you guys like this one.
> 
> Chapter 1 is set a month after Spider-man Homecoming.

Harley’s first impression of Peter Parker was of a perfect student, then again, he first heard of the guy from Tony Stark. It was in one of Tony’s frequent calls, around a month since Peter became Tony’s official intern.

“He’s really good. Awesome in robotics and mechanical engineering but definitely a genius in chemical engineering.” Tony sounded happy and excited. “I think you’ll like him.”

“If you say so, old man.” Harley was a bit distracted as he drew up a few schematics for one of the SI projects Tony assigned to him.

“Hey, I’m not old!” Harley snorted at Tony’s mock indignation.

“You sayin' that proved my point, _old_ man.” He grinned as he made sure to emphasize the word ‘old’. “Next thing I know, Pew-pew Man’s got a cane.” Tony scoffed.

“Okay first, the suit in itself is a high-tech prosthesis. No cane needed.” Harley smirked as he pictured Tony’s narrowed eyes. “And second, stop calling it that.”

“What? Pew-pew Man?”

“Yeah, that.”

“The kids here like it, just like Iron Patriot.”

“Oh lordy!” Harley cackled at Tony. His mentor didn’t need to know that Harley introduced the nickname to the local kids and it stuck. “You’re a menace, Harley! I should’ve run the other way when I had the chance.”

“Oh please, you won’t get rid of me. We’re connected.” Tony chuckled at that.

“I guess you’re right.” Harley could hear the smile from Tony’s voice. “Okay, so when should I expect the schematics?”

“It should be done by tomorrow morning.”

“Kid, take your time. Don’t lose sleep for that. I don’t want to get another phone call from your mom complaining about your lack of sleep.”

“That was one time! And that’s rich comin' from you!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I expect those two days from now. Not earlier, Keener.”

“Fine.”

“Then we’ll set a date for you to come to the compound so you could meet Peter.”

“Okay.” Harley’s a bit apprehensive and it seemed Tony sensed it.

“He’s a good kid, Harley. I know you’ll be good friends.”

“If you say so.” And that was that. Harley didn’t think more on that impending meeting. He thought Peter’s just some guy Tony found in some high school field trip in SI or something; just someone Tony knew and will be out of his hair after.

\---

Boy, was he wrong. Peter’s like an… an… an overeager puppy. The abundance of positive friendly energy from him was overwhelming! He’s just so… genuine.

Tony, with a wide grin, introduced them to each other in his workshop; his arm around Peter’s shoulders as if to rein in the guy’s excitement.

“Harley, this is Peter. Peter, Harley.”

“Hi, I’m-I’m Peter.” Peter held out his hand for a handshake. “Mr. Stark’s been telling me a lot about you.”

“Really?” He looked at Tony with disbelief. Tony just smirked at him.

“Y-yeah. Like the time you helped him with Mark 42’s repairs-” Peter stepped closer and Harley knew Tony had been hyping him up to the guy.

“After I broke off one of its fingers-”

“Then designed the retroreflective panels for the quinjet-”

“For stealth mode-” Harley looked at Tony as if to ask where he found Peter but all he got was a fond smile as the man enjoyed the scene in front of him.

“The machines you designed and built for SI, they’re so cool!” Peter finished with a grin.

“Dude, I’m just a mechanic.” He patted Peter on his arm. “I just build stuff.”

“Awesome stuff!” Peter was genuinely at awe that it flattered Harley but, in true Harley style, he simply smirked and shrugged. He kinda felt bad that he knew next to nothing about Peter. He should’ve asked Tony more.

“Okay boys, gotta go for a bit. Pep’s been hounding me to go to this meeting for days.” Tony looked at them both with a stern glare and pointed. “Do not blow up the workshop. No dangerous machines or chemicals. No hacking of any government servers, I’m looking at you Harley.”

“In my defense, I was left unsupervised.” Harley said as Peter looked at him with disbelief. “Besides, it’s your fault,” he smirked, “you’re the one who taught me how.” Peter’s wide eyes turned to Tony.

“Shut up! FRIDAY’s in charge. Got that baby girl?”

“Got it, boss.” FRIDAY’s amusement was evident in her voice.

“Okay, see you boys in two to three hours or so. Then, it’s movie marathon tonight.” Tony waved back as he walked towards the elevator.

“See you, Mr. Stark!”

“Yeah, yeah, just get out of here, Tony.” Tony raised his hand in a peace sign before he disappeared from view.

“Hey, you must be hungry.” Peter walked towards the pantry. “We should have enough for a sandwich here.”

“Uh, yeah. Thanks.” Harley started to follow but a sudden idea struck him like lightning that it stopped him in his tracks. Peter sent him a questioning look. “Peter, what if...”

\---

Harley found that the best way to get to know a person was via working on a project. He got to know who the slackers, the opportunists, the cocky shits and the know-it-alls were in only a few hours of work. It didn’t take long for Peter to open up though. Apparently, Tony found him through the September Foundation grant application. Harley thought that was odd. The foundation doesn’t offer grants to high schoolers and Harley’s familiar with every program Tony and Pepper started. He shelved that info for later.

He’s delighted to find out that Peter’s a very fast learner. Not only that, Harley could really see that Peter’s eager to learn. He understood why Tony likes the guy. Even he liked the way Peter understood the concepts without overly explaining them. He wouldn’t admit it but working with Peter was kinda reminiscent of the times Harley taught his little sister some stuff, mostly for pranks. Damn, this guy triggered his big brother emotions.

“You okay there, Peter?”

“Yeah, almost done… There.” Peter wiped his brow with his sleeve, socket wrench in his hand. “That should do it.”

“Let me see.” As he expected, the work was perfect. “Awesome, let’s test this baby!”

“Umm…” Peter nervously picked on the socket wrench in his hand. “Are you sure this is okay?”

“Yeah.” Harley frowned a little. _Was there something wrong with their work?_ “Why?”

“It’s just that- Won’t Mr. Stark get mad?” _Oh._ Harley chuckled.

“Nah! Don’t worry, I got you. Besides, this ain’t dangerous, right FRIDAY?”

“Yup. Potentially messy but definitely not dangerous.” FRIDAY answered.

“See?” Harley grinned. “You do have quick reflexes, right?” Peter nodded. “There you go. It’s gonna be fine. Alright, FRIDAY log ASM Mark 1.0 test 1.”

“Sure, Harley.”

\---

It worked beautifully! Well, granted they had to make some adjustments here and there; also there were some unfortunate mishaps but it was awesome. Harley smiled as he bit his tuna fish sandwich. He’s sure Tony would-

“What in the-” Tony walked in the workshop, bewilderment plainly seen on his face. “Why is- is that a plate stuck on my wall?!” There was indeed a plate on a hole in the wall. The plate remained remarkably intact.

“H-hey, Mr. Stark.” Peter was beside Harley as he nervously waved at Tony, grilled cheese sandwich in his hand. “Sorry about the mess.” Tony visibly sighed and closed his eyes. A giggle was heard by the elevator and sure enough, Pepper was there.

“Tony, what do you expect? You introduced two genius kids to one another.” Pepper walked closer and carefully walked over spots of mustard, mayonnaise and slices of pickles on the floor. “Hi, kids.”

“Hey, Pepper!”

“Hi. Ms. Potts!”

“Okay honey, you got me there.” Tony must’ve finished with his round of cleansing breath. He was calmer when he turned to them. “Boys, what’s this?”

“It’s an automatic sandwich maker or ASM Mark 1.3.” Harley stood proud as he presented their joint creation.

“Three?!” Tony exclaimed.

“Yeah, umm.” Peter walked closer to the machine. “In the first version, the machine blew up-”

“Blew-blew up?” Tony looked like he’s gonna blow up himself.

“That explains the food everywhere.” Pepper looked around.

“Yeah and then after we fixed that, we thought it would be cool if the sandwiches come with plates but…” Peter said.

“But it came out too fast and too hard.” Harley pointed at the plate on the wall. “Projectile plate.” Tony facepalmed. “You guys got heavy duty plates!”

“Any of you hurt? Please tell me no one was in front of that thing when it happened.” Tony pleaded.

“Well…” Peter scratched the back of his head.

“This guy’s got crazy quick reflexes!” Harley playfully punched Peter’s arm.

“Didn’t I specifically say ‘no dangerous machines’?! FRIDAY?!”

“Peter does have quick reflexes and therefore not in danger. Besides, it only happened once.” FRIDAY cheekily answered.

“Did she just-” Tony sighed. “My children rallied against me. Oh god, is this karma? This is karma, isn’t?” Tony looked miserably at his fiance but Pepper just laughed.

“It seems so honey, but it’s okay. Now you know how I feel when you do crazy stuff. You’ll survive.” She smiled at him and rubbed his arm before she turned back towards the kids. “Is this version good then? Would you boys make me a sandwich?” 

“Yeah, what do you want?” Harley walked closer to the machine and gently tapped the side. “This baby here can make any sandwich. Well, depends on the available ingredients.”

“So far we got mustard, mayo, butter, ketchup,” Peter pointed at the containers on the machine, “tuna, pickles, cheese, ham, bacon, white bread and wheat bread.”

“Ham and cheese in wheat bread, please.”

“Alright, one ham and cheese in wheat bread sandwich comin' right up.” Harley entered the order via a holo-screen and they all watched as the machine did its job. Harley was proud of the machine he made with Peter and when he looked at the guy, it seemed he was too.

“Wow,” Pepper was impressed when a plate of beautifully made sandwich was gently pushed out of the machine, “would you boys modify this so we can place it at the canteen at SI?”

Harley and Peter looked at each other, excitement in their eyes and twin smiles on their faces.

“You got it, Pepper!”

“Sure, Ms. Potts!”

“Okay but,” Tony interrupted, “you’ll only work on this when I’m here. You guys need supervision.”

“But we did fine!” Harley protested.

“Uh-uh, my workshop, my rules.”

“Fine.” Harley sighed.

“Got it, Peter?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark.”

“Good, now,” Tony looked at the mess around the workshop, “clean this up then we’ll order pizza for movie night. Dum-E and U will help you out.”

As both boys retrieved the mops and rags from the closet, they listed the modifications and features they could add to the ASM. They had a lot of work to do but that only made visiting New York a lot more exciting. At the end of the day, Harley not only had fun, he also gained a new friend. 

He cannot deny however that there’s still something unusual with Peter. The Stark Foundation grant? The crazy quick reflexes? At first he brushed it off but, the nagging feeling that something’s going on was still there. Ah well, he’ll find out sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to imagine that “we’re connected” evolved into Harley and Tony’s unique way of saying I love you to each other.


	2. Meeting Spider-man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is set three months after Spider-man Homecoming. Peter's 15, Harley's 16.

Harley’s one time visit turned into an overnight, twice a month thing at Tony’s workshop ever since he met Peter. No complaints there; that only meant more time to play with awesome tech and work on the ASM with him. He liked Peter Parker. It's like having a younger, better behaved brother, unlike his sister and her celebrity obsessions.

Although, Harley had a feeling there’s more to him than a genius fellow intern. At first, he thought it was just the often expected jealousy he _should_ feel when he had to share Tony’s time and attention but, he didn’t feel jealous at all. He’s already an older brother to an excitable little sister so, sharing wasn’t a big deal. In fact lately, he’d been feeling a little protective over his new friend in light of the recent things he observed.

There were times when Peter came in with bruises and Harley’s first reaction was anger. His memories of years being bullied at school - along with the fights he had with her sister’s bullies - were pushed to the forefront of his mind. He confronted Peter about it once but the guy’s adamant the bruises were just him being hopelessly clumsy. Harley doubted it though, the steady way Peter handled the dangerous chemicals at the workshop proved otherwise. No, those bruises were from bullies, or maybe New York’s really as dangerous as most folks back home would say.

Harley asked Tony about it once when it was just the two of them - Peter said he would be late - and all he said was, “He’s just clumsy.” Tony sucks at lying. They’ve known each other for years, he should know he couldn’t lie to Harley.

“Right, and I’m more of a saint than Mother Teresa.” Harley raised an eyebrow at his mentor.

“Kid,” Tony sighed before he faced him, “it’s Peter’s business.” 

“You’re not the type that would leave things like this alone, especially if it involves someone you personally know.” He narrowed his eyes.

“I know.” A hesitant pause. “Okay, Peter does have a bully-”

“His school’s in Midtown, right?”

“Whoa, wait.” Tony placed his arm around his shoulders. “Are you really going to his school, potato boy?”

“That reminds me. I can test out my new potato gun.”

“New?!” Tony’s incredulous.

“It’s Mark 10.”

“Harley, you- you have to let Peter handle it.”

“I just,” he huffed, “just really hate bullies.”

“I know.” Tony smiled fondly at him. He seemed to be mulling over something before he spoke again. “Alright, those bruises aren’t from this bully. The dickwad never resort to physical harm so, it’s something else.”

“At home?” He scowled.

“Oh no! Aunt Hottie is scary when mad but he loves Peter with her whole life.”

“Okay then.” He’s still determined to find out what’s going on and it looked like Tony’s aware of that.

“It’s not my story to tell but, maybe in time, you’ll figure it out.” Tony’s eyes sparkled like those times he gave him puzzles, confident that he could solve them. _Challenge accepted!_

\---

Peter came in later with a busted lip and a sheepish smile. Tony saw him first and he definitely didn’t like what he saw.

“Kid, what the hell?!” Tony blurted out.

“Sorry, sorry. I know I’m late. It won’t ha-”

“That’s not what he meant, dude! What happened to you?” Harley pointed at his friend’s face. _Who the hell did that to him?!_

“Oh, uuh… I-I bumped into a street lamp.” Peter blushed.

“Really now?” If Tony’s raised eyebrows could reach his hairline, it would.

“Y-yeah.” Peter let out an embarrassed chuckle. “I’m okay! Just didn’t pay attention.”

“If you say so, here.” Harley sighed and retrieved an ice pack from their mini-fridge and tossed it towards the guy. Harley swore Peter didn’t look at the tossed ice pack. He was about to apologize but Peter effortlessly caught it. It was impressive… and suspicious. “Whoa! Got a sixth sense or somethin’?”

“Just luck! Lucky.” Peter nervously chuckled then gave him a tight-lipped smile. At the corner of his eye, he saw Tony facepalm.

“You got luck in opposite extremes, dude.” Harley laughed when suddenly, he received a notification on his phone. As he pulled it out of his pocket, he absent-mindedly saw Tony walk towards Peter as they conversed in whispers. It was a Twitter notification. His sister often tagged him in memes.

_@harhar spidey’s at it again! lmao! you met him yet?_

It was a tweet from The Daily Bugle but the source wasn’t important. The picture attached was glorious! it's like the dark clouds parted, a ray of sun bathed him with light and a choir of angels sang Allelujah!

_Huh._

Harley grinned like the devil. This would be fun.

\---

Harley loved the comfortable silence in the workshop once all three started working. They worked together like a well-oiled machine; not much words needed, just looks and signals. This time though, Harley decided to disrupt the flow a bit.

“So Tony, when are you going to introduce me to Spider-man?” Harley almost snorted when he saw Peter freeze in the corner of his eye. Harley feigned ignorance, of course.

“That depends if he’s free. Why the sudden interest?” Harley looked up and saw Tony’s genuine question.

“Well, my little sister Faith - you remember, wanna be an actress, obnoxious - she’s a huge fan. Like real huge. She even got this life-size cut-out of Spider-man and lugged it around at a party back home.” He desperately reined in his amusement when he saw Peter’s red-as-a-tomato face.

“Really?” Tony narrowed his eyes at him.

“Yeah, here.” He pulled out the photo he took of Faith hugging her Spider-man cut-out from his phone and showed it to Tony. “See?”

“Huh.” Tony smirked. Harley then turned the phone to let Peter see too and he wasn’t disappointed at his reaction.

“Where-where did she-where did she get that?” Peter crossed his arms.

“She’s part of this fan club; said she won it at a raffle.” With wide eyes, Peter looked at Tony at the mention of a fan club. “That’s the internet for you. They have fandoms for pretty much anythin’. Did you guys know there are Spider-man fanfiction stories? She told me all about it.” He gave Tony a slight smirk and at that moment, he knew Tony knows he knew. He watched as Tony’s eyes sparkled with mischief for a second before he played along.

“Is that so? Is it as huge as mine’s.”

“Nah, Spidey's new so there's not that many, yet.” Harley saw Peter desperately trying to get back to work and feign nonchalance but his fidgety fingers won’t let him. “I scanned some of them. There’s action, angst, comedy and then, there’s a lot - and I mean _a lot_ \- of smut.”

“W-w-what?!” _Oh, Peter._ Harley’s delighted though.

“Yeah. One time, when I was really concerned, had to make sure Faith's internet searches are PG so I checked out some of the stories. Faith’s only eleven, by the way.”

“Yeah.” Tony said..

“Yeah, so I stumbled into one story about a risqué night between Spidey and this mugging victim he rescued. He was invited to the victim’s house as a thank you. Then he was offered coffee before they both went in the bedroom where they-”

“Mr. Stark," Peter jumped, "I-I-I have to make a call! Have to tell May I’ll be late. She’ll be mad if I don’t, ya know?”

“You can just use FRIDAY, kid.”

“No, it’s cool, cool, cool, cool. I’ll just-I’ll just step out of the workshop for a bit. Be right back.” Peter almost ran out of the workshop; his face in danger of being permanently red. As soon as the door closed behind him, Tony signalled for FRIDAY to soundproof the workshop before they both laughed their asses off.

“Oh god!” Tony wiped the tears off his eyes. “You’re a little shit, Harley!”

“Can’t help it!” Harley wheezed. “Just wanna confirm my suspicions but Peter just made it so easy!”

“How did you find out?” Harley pulled out the photo from the tweet and showed it to Tony. “Oh great, that's gonna trend."

"It is trending. Got it from a Daily Bugle tweet."

"His Spidey sense - he named it - is still evolving. So…" He gestured at the Harley's phone.

"Whoa! So he does have a sixth sense!"

"Among other things. Are you gonna tell him you know?"

"Nah, I'm just gonna see how long I can keep this goin’." Harley grinned.

\---

Apparently, fate decided to speed things along. It was later that day, a few hours before Harley’s supposed to fly back home to Rose Hill, when he told Tony and Peter his plan to go to the city on his own and just experience it all. Oh and, Faith asked for a Spider-man merchandise and apparently, the compound didn’t have a gift shop. 

_”Seriously? Not even any official Spidey merch?” He was dubious._

_”He didn’t accept the Avengers position so, no.” Was that a hint of sadness from Tony? Hmm..._

He was tempted to ask Peter where he could buy them but decided to give the guy a break. Instead, he asked FRIDAY and she gave him a list of all possible places, most of them were in Chinatown. So, Chinatown it was. Happy dropped him off at the corner of Broadway and Canal St. with a stern warning.

“Kid, you have an hour. If you’re not in this exact spot later, you find yourself a way to the airport.”

“Awww Happy, your Grumpy is showin’.” He grinned and he earned a glare for that cheek. In true Happy fashion, the tires of the Audi screeched as he drove to get away. Harley chuckled as he walked along Canal St.

New York never failed to fascinate Harley what with all the diverse cultures and personalities he wouldn’t see in Tennessee. There are a lot of bootleg stuff too, perfect for his non-billionaire budget so he thought he could buy a purse for his mom along with the plush Spidey toy for Faith. 

It only took him around thirty minutes to buy gifts then food - he got hungry - and walk around Canal St and thought he could go and venture out to smaller streets. Ever since he told his mom about the internship visits to New York, she’d been so worried for him. Can’t blame her though, most stories that came out of New York were of aliens, kidnappings and other crimes. So, before she agreed to the arrangement, she explicitly warned him to be cautious and to not be stupid. Harley knew he was being stupid as soon as he saw three men with baseball bats and metal pipes. They seemed to surround something on the ground and as Harley walked closer, the situation became clearer.

“Just give us the money or else!”

“P-p-please, I-I-I can’t!” A boy cowered in a corner, a backpack in his arms. “It’s m-money for my mom’s m-m-medicine.”

“You think we care ‘bout that?!” The mugger laughed and mocked the boy. “Give us the fucking money or you won’t go back home to your mom!”

Damnit! Harley looked around for something he could use but all he saw was half a brick and a brown broken leg of a table. _Well, better than nothin’._ He picked up both. He aimed at the leader’s head and threw the brick. _Bullseye!_ The yelp from the guy made Harley smirk.

“Muggin’ a helpless boy,” he tutted, “ya’ll so pathetic.” Harley’s southern accent always got thicker in stressful situations. The guy he threw a brick at growled and stalked towards him.

“Look guys, a country bumpkin!” The others followed suit menacingly.

“Kid,” Harley looked at the cowering boy, “get outta here!” The boy didn’t need telling twice. He stood and ran away from the scene. The muggers continued to walk closer to Harley as they brandished their weapons.

“You shoulda just walked away, southern boy.” Harley clenched his jaw, both hands on the piece of wood he found and braced himself for a fight. One of the guys raised his bat but before he could do more, a web latched on to it and was pulled out of his hands. When the guy looked up, he was webbed and pulled towards the wall where he got stuck.

“What the fuck?!” The other two looked around in fear.

“Hey, guys!” Spider-man landed beside the head mugger then swept the guys leg off the floor. As soon as the guy landed on his ass, Spidey webbed him to the floor. “I’m Spider-man. Nice to meet you!”

 _Whoa!_ Harley was amazed! It was one thing to watch Spider-man from potato quality videos and it’s another to see him fight in person. When Spidey successfully webbed up the last guy, Harley just remembered then regretted not pulling out his camera to take a video of it. _Damnit! Good job, me._

“Hey, you okay?” Spider-man asked him. Harley looked at the muggers and saw they’re all knocked out. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no, no. I’m good. I’m good. Thanks, Peter. Hoo boy! That was, that was scary! New York, huh?” Harley grinned at Spidey and lightly punched him on the arm but the guy just froze and stared at him, the eyes on his mask were wide open. “What? Whoa!” Spidey suddenly carried him and swung up a building’s empty rooftop. 

“Oh my god!” Harley exclaimed as soon as they landed. “That was awesome! So that’s how it felt like! Faith’s not gonna believe this!”

“How did-When did-How-What the-” Spidey seemed like he was about to hyperventilate.

“Ok, calm down. Breathe.” They both took calming breaths and let the adrenaline rush ebb away.

“Did-did Mr. Stark tell you?” Spidey asked as soon as they’re both calm.

“Nah, I figured it out.” He smirked.

“How?” Harley pulled out his phone and showed him the picture from The Daily Bugle tweet. It’s a collage of burst mode photos of Spider-man as he successfully avoided a flying drone but then he swung face first to a street lamp. “Street lamp, huh?” He grinned.

“Wait, that could’ve been just a coincidence.”

“Yeah but your reaction when I told you guys about my sister’s Spidey obsession was hilarious and a dead giveaway. That and the freaky sixth sense you have.” Spidey groaned.

“Are you telling me that-that smut story was real?!”

“Nah, I made that up.” Harley chuckled as the other huffed in relief. Then again, Harley’s a little shit. “But there are Spidey smut fanfics. Loads of them.” He cackled when Spidey groaned.

“Can’t believe this.”

“Oh please, you’re a nerd. You’re in the Star Wars fandom. You should know these things.”

“Yeah but, I’m just-just Spider-man.” He shrugged.

“Hey, you’re doing great things. You save people so of course a lot of them would love you. Just umm,” Harley side hugged Spidey, “if you don’t want to be scarred, don’t google yourself without SafeSearch on.”

“Harley!” He gasped. Harley couldn’t help but let out an evil laugh.

“Come on, that’s solid advice.”

“Oh my god!” 

“Ok, seriously, what else can you do? Those webs aren’t organic, right?”

“No, I made them.”

“That explains the huge bottles of chemicals in the workshop.”

“I have umm, enhanced strength, senses, really fast healing and I stick to everything.”

“Everything? Even a sheer surface like glass?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm, interesting. Even a non-stick pan?”

“I umm… I actually don’t know. I’ll test it out later.”

“Let me know, okay?” Harley grinned.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Oh, before I forget, do you mind if I take a selfie with you?” Someone in Tennessee’s gonna flip.

“No, it’s okay.” After they took a selfie, Harley sent it over to his sister and, as he expected, he received a Facetime request. “Oh umm. Brace your ears.” He warned before he accepted. A piercing squeal - the pigeons perched at the rooftop flew to get away from the noise - came from Harley’s phone as Faith’s image appeared.

“HARLEY!!!!!!!!”

“Hey sis, meet my friend.”

“Hi, Faith!” Spidey waved and Faith let out another squeal. Harley could feel Spidey freeze by his side.

“Jeez Faith, stop screeching! You’re hurting his ears. He’s got enhanced senses.”

“Sorry, sorry…” Faith whispered. “Oh my god, you know my name. Hi Spidey, I love you!” She used her hands to form a heart shape.

“Umm…” Harley could tell he didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Faith...” Harley warned.

“Okay, okay… Sorry. It’s just, I’m a big fan! Hi!”

“Sis, you get one question then Spidey needs to go fight crime and save people, alright?”

“Okay, umm… Do you have a girlfriend?” Harley rolled his eyes. _Of all the- He should’ve seen this coming._

“Umm, no. No, I don’t.” _Bless his heart. He bravely answered._ Faith screamed again.

“Alright, that’s enough. Bye, Faith!”

“No, wait! Wai-” Harley ended the call and sighed.

“Sorry about that.”

“No, no, no, it’s fine.”

“Don’t let that get in your head.”

“No, of course not!”

“Good. Oh, shit!” Harley looked at his watch. “Happy’s gonna kill me.”

“Come on, I’ll get you there faster.” Spidey, with his arm around Harley’s waist, lifted him before he jumped off the building. Harley loved the feeling of swinging. It was like being on a rollercoaster. It gave him an idea though. What if one day he could fly too?

\---

Before going to bed that night, Harley grinned as he received a message from Peter. It’s a photo of a pan stuck on his hand with a message, “Yup, I can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ty Simpkins said [Harley’s older than Peter](https://bob-newby-superhero.tumblr.com/post/184904504280/in-which-harley-played-by-ty-simpkins-who-is-17). He’s around the same age as Ty (17) by Endgame (that meant Harley was snapped too). Peter’s still 16 by the end of Endgame. My headcanon though is, despite being only a year older than Peter, Harley’s more mature because he had to step up and take care of his family (mother and younger sister) without his father for years.
> 
> The Daily Bugle exists in the MCU, just not in the movies yet. [It’s in Disneyland](https://screenrant.com/daily-bugle-mcu-disneyland-easter-egg/).
> 
> Harley’s sister Faith is based on Harmony Faith Lane, a character in [Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang](https://youtu.be/YjMCnQzdCHU?t=22).


	3. Solitary Mechanic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is 7 months before Infinity War. Peter’s 16, Harley’s 17.

Harley knew it was a one-time thing: helping Tony Stark repair the Iron Man suit. All those years ago, he knew that; he’s resigned to that fact actually. Even after he received all those new gear and equipment, he knew it was just Tony’s way to show his gratitude and that’s it. Who would invest in an obnoxious kid from a small town in Tennessee anyway? 

Yet, he received phone calls from the guy, then another, and another. A little bit of hope blossomed in him that someone he looked up to could become his friend and mentor. Studying and experimenting alone was a slow process but Tony’s guidance helped him along. In no time he went from building potato guns to doing maintenance work or repairing the intricate mechanics of an Iron Man suit.

Of course, Tony couldn’t be there for him all the time. He knew that. There’s the company then the thing with the Avengers then being Iron Man and, Harley accepted all that. However, he couldn’t deny the happiness he felt every time Tony calls or the once-in-a-blue-moon visits at Rose Hill. Ever since his father left them all those years ago, he couldn’t help the lingering fear that one day, all of it - Tony’s friendship, the calls, the visits - would end; that one day, Tony would just walk away and never come back. So, to protect himself, he built a wall of aloofness and nonchalance guised as independence. Besides, he could make it on his own as he always did. _Manage your expectations, Harley._

“I’m really sorry, kid.” Tony called to cancel the upcoming weekly New York visit. “Just have to take care of this Avengers thing.”

“Nah, It’s fine. Don’t worry.” Harley did look forward to it though. The ASM was in its final testing phase but, oh well.

“I’ll make up for it.”

“Tony, don’t worry ‘bout it. Just meant more time for my personal project.”

“How’s that going by the way? Need help?”

“Oh, nah. Figurin’ it out on my own was the point. Had to do it myself.”

“Yeah but, if you need help, ya know…”

“I’ll ask you, yeah. So far, it’s goin’ great.” The truth was, it’s not progressing as fast as Harley hoped but he didn’t want Tony to know that.

“Okay then.” Tony chuckled then mumbled. “Kindred spirits.”

“What?”

“Sometimes you remind me of me.”

“Oh no, I’m way more handsome and charming.” Harley smirked.

“Brat!” Harley laughed at Tony’s indignation. “I mean, I get it. There’s nothing like accomplishing something on your own but kid, there’s nothing wrong with asking and receiving help either.”

“You did it on your own.”

“Sure I did most of it on my own but I had help. I got Rhodey, Pepper and Happy. I had JARVIS and now, FRIDAY. I learned the hard way that the lone gunslinger route didn't cut it. So, like I said, I get it. Just saying, you gotta let people in." _Easier said than done._

“Yeah, yeah, thanks.” He opted to change the topic. "By the way, I got your notes on the latest build for the newest tablet and you're right. There's still room for another processor. So, here's what I drew up."

And, that’s that. He didn’t hear from Tony for days since he’s out of the country. Peter, on the other hand, texted him almost everyday, mostly about small things like new TV shows, pictures of the dogs he found on patrol and even pictures of stores where he said he’ll take Harley to when he would visit next. 

A sudden idea struck him like a bolt of lighting. According to his calendar, a week of fall break was close. Perfect.

\---

He wanted to use his full fall break to check out universities. The earlier he could start, the less stress he would get. So, with the Stark Internship allowance and his own money he saved for years, he had enough to travel to New York on his own and stay in a small inn for a week. Also, an added plus was Peter’s not officially in the Avengers so he’s most likely around, that meant he needed to find a place in Queens to make visiting easier.

His mother Susan, exasperated as she was, just accepted that her son could not be deterred from his plan. She knew the more she held on tight to him, the more Harley would distance himself. So, she agreed with the condition that he would call her every day or else he would have to face the wrath of God. Of course, as long as she didn’t know he would be staying at an inn instead of the compound, he’s fine. Faith, on the other hand, wanted to come too.

_“It ain’t fair! He gets to meet Spider-man!” She stomped her foot._

_“No, you are not leavin’, young lady. End of discussion!” Susan yelled._

_”But Ma!” Susan used that mom glare on Faith. “Argh! Fine!”_

_”I’m sorry, what was that dear?” Her tone was deceptively sweet; her hands on her waist._

_”I’m sorry, ma’am. I won’t ask again.”_

_”Good.”_

With his round trip flight and room booked, Harley’s good to go.

\---

One of the things he liked about New York was that people minded their own business. Back home, Harley would get those weird looks when they saw him travelling alone. As soon as he got out of JFK, no one cared if he’s a minor or that he’s on his lonesome.

Queens, Harley found, was not as busy as Manhattan but it was still as fascinating to him. His room was at an inn in Kew Gardens but he timed it so he arrived earlier than his check in time. He wanted to explore first. He saw a lot of the shops Peter told him about. He even saw Delmar’s bodega. 

“Hey, it’s Spider-man!” Someone shouted and sure enough he saw Spidey swing around buildings and out of sight. Some people pulled out their phones to take photos and videos while others whooped. _There he goes._ Harley smiled then walked onward.

He was near a supermarket when he saw a woman having a hard time carrying two huge bags full of produce. He looked around and thought someone would help her out but, then again, he’s in New York. He rushed forward to help just when apples spilled out one of the bags.

“Damnit! Great!” The woman said as she placed the bags on the ground to pick up the apples.

“Ma’am, let me help ya with that.” Harley picked up the apples and placed them back in the bag.

“No, no, no, no, it’s fine. I’ll- Harley? Harley Keener?” Harley stopped and looked up.

“Uh, yes ma’am?” He frowned. _How in the world did she know who I am?_

“I’m May. May Parker. Peter’s aunt.” She smiled at him. “Peter told me all about you. Showed me a lot of pictures too.” _Oh._

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Mrs. Parker.” He reached out and they shook hands. “Let me carry this for you, ma’am.”

“Oh, thank you.” He noticed her blush. “You’re such a polite young man.”

“My Ma used to pull my ear when I’m disrespectful.” He chuckled. “Nowadays though, just one glare from her is enough.” She laughed at that. He let Mrs. Parker lead the way, both of them carried a bag each.

“Is she with you?”

“Oh, no ma’am. I’m here to check out some colleges.”

“Ah, college. Did you tell Peter you’re coming?”

“No, I thought I’ll surprise him.”

“I think he will be pleasantly surprised!” She grinned. “Our apartment’s just around the corner and it’ll be an hour or two before he’s done with patrols. Let’s have tea or coffee while we wait.”

“Oh, I don’t want to impose, ma’am.”

“No, you’re not. You’re always welcome.” Mrs. Parker placed a hand on his arm. “Thank you so much for your help, Harley.”

“It was nothin’, Mrs. Parker.”

“Please, just May is fine.”

\---

The Parkers’ apartment had a homey feel reminiscent of his back in Rose Hill. There were shelves packed with books, multitude of pictures on the walls, a cozy looking couch with throw pillows and rugs… He liked it.

“Just place the bag here, Harley. Thanks.” May placed hers on the kitchen counter.

“Please, let me help you put these away.”

“Oh no, no, you’re a guest. Please, sit.” She almost pushed him towards the couch. “I’ll pour you some coffee.” While she was busy, Harley looked around particularly at the pictures. _That must be his Uncle Ben._ He saw a picture of a young Peter with May and a man with brown hair and eyeglasses. He didn’t know all the details but Peter told him a bit of what happened.

“How long are you staying here?” She called from the kitchen.

“A week, ma’am. It’s our fall break back in Tennessee.”

“Here, help yourself, sweetie.” May walked in the living room and placed a tray on the table. Harley saw two mugs of coffee and containers for sugar and cream. “Where are you staying? Do you have relatives here?”

“Oh no, I booked a room for a week at an inn in Kew Gardens.”

“What?” She gasped. “You shouldn’t be alone in the city. It’s dangerous!”

“It’s fine. I’m used to being alone.”

“Not in New York though. No, you’re staying here. Peter’s got a bunk bed. You can stay in his room.”

“But-” Harley stopped when May gave him a look that dared him to continue what he was about to say. “Moms really got that glare down to a tee, huh?” 

“You bet.” May smirked. Harley chuckled.

“Okay, thanks May.”

“You’re welcome.” May smiled before she picked up the phone. “Here’s what we’re gonna do. You call the inn to cancel the reservation then you call your mom and tell her where you’re really staying while I put away all those stuff. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Harley did what he was told while he watched May put away the groceries. He smiled as he thought of a way to show his gratitude. If he was completely honest, he felt a bit uncomfortable accepting the goodwill offered to him, especially from someone that he just met even if that someone is a friend’s aunt. He didn’t really feel like he deserved the hospitality and care he received. He remembered Tony’s words: _there’s nothing wrong with asking and receiving help._ He guessed it would take some getting used to.

“Yeah Ma, I’ll be okay. I will. Take care ya’ll. Talk to you tomorrow. Love ya, bye.” He hung up before he walked towards the kitchen. “May really, thank you.”

“It was nothing.” She waved her hand.

“Let me cook dinner, at least. To show my thanks.”

“Oh no, no. You’re our guest. It’s fine.”

“No, really. It’s okay. Actually, I like cookin’. You see, my Ma works at a diner, mostly at night so I’m often left at home with my li’l sister. That's how I taught myself to cook.” He looked at the items May bought. “Looks like there’s enough here for a southern-style dinner. Please, let me cook for tonight.” May huffed, smiled and placed her hands on her hips.

“I can’t dissuade you, huh?”

“No, ma’am.” He grinned.

“Okay then. But, I’ll help out.”

“Sure!”

“Good, now put your backpack in Peter’s room. It’s that door over there. Wash your hands then we’ll start.”

\---

Harley was grateful he had the foresight to let May help prepare the ingredients instead of the actual cooking. After she almost burned the sausages because the stove was on high, he found out Peter’s aunt couldn’t cook. He had to constantly and covertly guard the food or else May would add unnecessary spices or other stuff in them.

“I think these are done?” May uncovered the skillet to check on the chicken.

“Just a few more minutes. Chicken breasts cook quicker. For the other chicken parts, we need to cook them longer to make sure the inside isn't raw and bloody but still juicy.”

“Ah, I see,” she covered the skillet and smiled at him, “Harley, I learned a lot from you today.” 

“Oh umm,” he gave her a sheepish smile, “it was-it was nothin’.” She giggled at him.

“It was Ben that cooked all the time. He was really good at it too, so I never had the practice.” She smiled, a nostalgic look in her eyes. “His matzo ball soup was amazing, so was his falafel. Peter’s favorite was Ben’s deli sandwich. The secret was the pastrami. Ben made his own.” She sighed. “I remember Peter always ran home from school just so Ben could make him a sandwich.”

Harley felt a twinge of jealousy. He never had a loving father. His own left them around the time Faith was born and he was only five. He left when he was needed the most and since then, it was just him, Faith and his Ma.

“I’m sorry,” May wiped a tear off her cheek as she sniffled, “didn’t mean to-” she waved her hand as if to swipe the melancholy away.

“If you want,” Harley smiled kindly at her, “I can teach you. Ya know, while I’m here.”

“I would love that.” She nodded, eyes still a bit teary.

\---

May and Harley set the plates and utensils on the table just as Peter got home. He looked a bit hurried but fine nonetheless, at least there were no visible bruises or cuts this time.

“May, I smell something delicious. Did you order from the chicken place round the corner?” He called out after he placed his bag on an armchair.

“No sweetie, but look who I met at the supermarket."

“Hey,” Harley greeted while he placed the fried chicken as well as a skillet full of biscuits and gravy on the table, “surprise!”

“Harley! Hey, man!” Peter walked towards him with his hand up. They met halfway with a handshake but Peter pulled Harley in for a hug. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re coming?”

“Thought to surprise you, dude. I’m here to check out some colleges.” He grinned as they pulled away. “I was walkin’ round here when I saw your aunt.”

“He helped me with the bags. You know, he came here all the way from Tennessee on his own! I can’t just let him stay in a hotel somewhere so, he’s gonna stay here with us for a week.”

“Yeah, sorry didn’t mean to impo-”

“That’s awesome, man!” Peter exclaimed. “Let me take out the mattress for the top bunk. Be right back!” He then ran to his room.

“It’s been a while since his best friend Ned stayed here for a night.” She chuckled fondly towards Peter’s bedroom. “He only has a handful of friends so I'm glad Tony introduced you kids to each other.” He didn’t know what to say to that. He never had that much friends either what with taking care of both his mother and sister for years instead of going out with classmates. “Well, then. We better eat before dinner gets cold. Peter! You can do that later.”

“Okay,” he ran back out with a grin on his face, “where did you guys buy these?”

“Harley cooked but I helped.”

“Whoa! These looks amazing!” Peter looked at the spread while they all sat around the table.

“Thanks! These here are my Ma’s recipes. Dig in. Hope you guys like it.” Peter didn’t need to be told twice.

“Ohmgod!” Peter exclaimed as he bit and chewed on a chicken leg. After he swallowed the bite, he added, “dude, you better be in-charge of food back at the workshop. I’m kinda getting fed up with the usuals we order.”

“Yeah, sure.” He grinned.

“Harley, sweetie, I know I was there when you made these biscuits and gravy but you’ve got to give me a written recipe.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He watched Peter and May enjoy dinner and smiled. That was the reward for cooking. He never thought he would cook for other people outside his own family. Even Tony didn’t know he could cook.

As he ate with the Parkers, he listened as Peter regaled them with stories of his recent patrols. May also talked about her work at the local charity then they both asked him which schools he planned to visit. Peter even wanted to join him after school so they planned for the week.

He started the day expecting to be alone as he often did. Instead, his circle of friends just got bigger. Maybe, letting people in ain’t a bad idea after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the [Iron Man 3 premiere](https://youtu.be/hUxcsEMKssA), RDJ said Ty reminds him of himself.
> 
> May knows Harley knows about Spidey because Peter told her.
> 
> Normally, inns and hotels charge a cancellation fee but let’s just say the inn Harley booked didn’t have that.


	4. A Li'l Bit o' Jealousy Might Work… or Not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I wanted to wait until after I watched Far From Home. Then it took me some time to process that movie and then a few more time to figure out how to incorporate some events from that movie to this series. 
> 
> This series won’t be FFH compliant but I want it to be as close to canon as possible.

For the next few days of Harley’s stay with the Parkers, he got into a routine. Harley would cook breakfast and packed lunches for all three of them. Then, one by one, he would go through his list of colleges to visit and then at night, he would cook dinner with May’s help. The cooking-slash-teaching sessions they had was truly fun, especially when May told him stories.

“Oh God! When I first found out about Spider-man, it freaked me out! Then when I freaked out, he also freaked out so imagine us freaking each other out. It was a riot!” They both laughed. May fried pork chops while he caramelized onions for the gravy.

“But you’re okay with it now?” He asked.

“Yeah, it took some time though and with strict conditions.” She gave him a mischievous smile. “I remember when I chewed out both Peter and Tony. Have to say, it was satisfying to see this billionaire superhero panic in front of you.” She chuckled. 

“What made you let him continue?”

“Well,” she sighed as she removed the chops off the skillet, “I realized, I really can’t stop him, you know? If I tell him no, I’m sure he would just do it behind my back. That would be worse. I hate the thought of him risking his life out there but I hate it more if I don’t know everything that’s going on. And, I want him to have as much support as he needs. I imagine it’s hard to fight crime and keep it a secret from your family at the same time.” He nodded.

“Ya know, if I have superpowers, there’s no way I could keep it a secret.” He said as he chopped some veggies for a salad after he’s done with the gravy. “Especially if I have teleportation powers, I could take ya’ll anywhere you want; no customs and no hassles.”

“Oh, me too. I could use some super strength or even that Peter Tingle.”

“The what now?” Harley abruptly stopped chopping. He wasn’t sure if he heard her right.

“The Peter Tingle.” She looked at him wide-eyed and serious. “You know, that thing that helps him sense danger or something.” _Oh… OH!_

“Oh my God!” Harley guffawed. It took a lot of effort to control his laughter, at least enough for him to speak. “May, that’s-” He wheezed. “Thank you so much! I’ll definitely call it that from now on.”

“You’re welcome!” May giggled. As if summoned, Peter got home; earbuds on and books in his arms.

“Hey guys! That smells so g-what?” Peter looked confused as he watched both May and Harley laugh.

“Nothing, sweetie.” May grinned at him while Harley took all he had to stop laughing. “Go get ready for dinner.”

“Okay.” Peter looked at them with slight suspicion before he deposited his bag and books in his room.

\---

For the colleges upstate, Harley decided to just check out their online tours instead of a visit in person. They were not high in his priority list anyway. As for the colleges in the city, he would visit those personally so he could do touristy things too; two birds with one stone. Awesome!

For Columbia, the last college on his list, Peter asked to come with him. Apparently, it’s one of his top three choices. Harley didn’t mind the company even if Peter brought his best friend along. The more the merrier, right?

His first impression of Ned was almost the same as with Peter: nerdy, a bit overwhelming but nice. Peter did tell him Ned would ask a ton of questions especially since he told Ned he also interns for Tony. 

“Is it true you designed the stealth mode for the quinjet?” Ned asked with wide-eyed excitement. They were on their way to the university for a tour and get some brochures among other things.

“Yeah.” He answered.

“So, you’ve seen it up close?”

“Yeah, I did. Had to do some maintenance on it from time to time. Not recently though. Tony let other people do it instead.”

“Whoa!” Harley thought the questions would end there. He was wrong. “What other projects did you have with Tony Stark? Did you and Peter work on other projects together? Did he let you come with him to conferences?”

“Here we are.” Peter interrupted Ned as they reached one of Columbia’s Broadway Gates at Morningside Heights. “Wow…” He looked at the gates as if it’s a portal to another world.

“Got the sudden realization that in two years time, we could be studying here, huh?” Ned asked.

“Yeah… It just… It’s a bit…”

“Intimidating? Unreal? Scary?”

“... Yeah.”

“It’s only a year left for me. If I got accepted here, I’ll let you guys know what it’s like.” Despite the bravado he projected, Harley was terrified. He spent most of his life in some county in Tennessee. The idea of venturing out on his own for months far away from home made him feel like his heart would jump out of his chest; like he’s at the edge of a diving board looking down. He cleared his throat and said, “Our tour guide’s name is Paolo. He said-”

“‘Sup losers.” A voice called from behind. All three boys turned around and saw a girl with curly hair and an air of indifference.

“H-hey, MJ!” Peter grinned and started fidgeting. Harley frowned a bit at the sudden nervousness. “We’re-we’re good.”

“Cool.” She gave him a tight-lipped smile. Harley observed how unnaturally tight the newcomer held the straps of her backpack.

“Oh umm, MJ this is Harley. He’s my fellow intern with Mr. Stark.” They smiled at each other. “Harley, umm Michelle. She’s our team captain at decathlon.”

“Hey.”

“Hey.” She nodded at him then turned to Peter. “So, you guys booked a tour here, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ned answered, “how did you-”

“I heard you. I mean, just now I heard you guys.” She chuckled. Harley, with eyebrows raised, suddenly had a hunch but he needed to see more to confirm it. So...

“Do you want to come with us? It’s okay with me. How about you guys?” He turned towards Peter and Ned.”

“Yeah, sure.” Ned shrugged.

“Y-yeah. It’s-it’s ummm okay with me.” Peter had that goofy grin that made Harley smirk.

“Oh, okay. Thanks.” She looked relieved.

“It was nothin’. Well, we better get this started then.” Harley said as he placed an arm around Ned’s shoulders, pulled him through Columbia’s gates and left Peter and MJ behind with no choice but to walk together.

\---

Paolo was a cool guy. He didn’t mind if another person was added to the tour group. He’s also a junior in Mechanical Engineering so he could tell them what day to day life was really like. It was fascinating! He showed them all the usual stuff like the Low steps, the libraries, St. Paul’s chapel, the fitness center… but the part Harley really looked forward to was Paolo’s offer to let them take a peek at one of the laboratories he frequented at the Seeley Mudd Building; something that’s not in the official tour itinerary.

They were at a white hallway in front of a blue laboratory door as they waited for Paolo to punch in a security code when Harley felt something vibrate in Peter’s backpack.

“Dude, is someone calling you?” He whispered. Peter, as he tried and failed to contain his excitement, jerkily and blindly reached in his bag. He must’ve sent whoever it was to voicemail since the vibrating stopped. “Are you sure? Maybe it’s something important?”

“Nah, it’s fine. If it’s really an emergency, they’ll call again.”

“Okay then.” Harley shrugged.

“Alright, guys. Come on in!” Paolo opened the door wide and led them in the room where, according to their guide, students spend most of their times.

“Whoa!” Ned looked around in awe. There were a lot of things to see. There were robots and mills, drills, material testers and a wide variety of machines everywhere. It’s not as sleek and advanced as the toys they get to play with in Tony’s workshop but, it’s still awesome!

“Cool, huh?” Paolo grinned. “Our classes are mostly hands on so we spend a lot of our time here. Well, here or the Maker Space.” He chuckled. “Once we’re done here, wanna check that out? It’s upstairs.”

“Yeah!” Paolo laughed as the guys exclaimed. 

“Okay, cool.” 

Between looking at the different projects the other students have and asking how classes were like, Harley couldn’t help but watch how MJ and Peter surreptitiously looked at each other. He made sure to keep Ned away from those two to give them space and hoped he would see some progress in this obviously blossoming high school sweetheart scenario. He even wondered if Ned’s aware of it at all.

By the time Paolo led the way to the Maker Space, Harley got frustrated from watching MJ and Peter skirt around each other. 

“Are those-” MJ started.

“3D printers? Yeah.” Paolo led them towards a corner full of 3D printers. “Students are free to use all of the machines here. You just need to let the professors know.”

“Whoa!” Ned was about to follow MJ towards the 3D printers as she tried to figure out what they were printing but Harley stopped him with an arm on his shoulders.

“Hey, let’s check them magnets, huh?” Harley stirred him towards the other side of the room. He looked back and saw Peter look at the printers with MJ. Harley took out his phone and typed a message. He couldn’t let Peter hear their conversation. 

_is there something goin on with those 2?_

He showed the message to Ned and was pleased when the other guys nodded enthusiastically. Ned took out his own phone to type a message.

_ikr? been telling him to just ask her out. if there’s anyone who could easily ask a girl for a date, it’s him._

_he just needs a little push._ Harley smirked. He typed a long message on his phone then called out, “Hey, Paolo? I have a question.”

\---

Harley could practically feel the tension from Peter as Paolo led the way back to Low Steps. If before, Peter and MJ were left alone most of the time, by the tail end of the tour, Paolo walked beside MJ and asked her a lot of things. They actually bonded over books and Buzzfeed Unsolved.

“Right? I like True Crimes better than Supernatural but it is funny to see Ryan freak out.” Paolo remarked as MJ chuckled. “Okay, at the count of three: are you a Shainiac or a Boogara?” He asked. “One, two, three!”

“Shainiac!” They both exclaimed then they laughed and gave each other high-fives. Harley saw Peter clench his jaw. _Come on, dude. Do something about it!_

“Okay, that’s the end of the tour!” Paolo grinned at them. “Hope you guys learned a lot about Columbia.”

“We did, thanks!” Harley grinned back.

“Yeah, thanks Paolo.” MJ smiled.

“You’re welcome! Oh and Michelle, you did say you’re more interested in Sociology or writing. I do have friends with other majors so if you want, I can ask them to show you around next time. Maybe we could exchange numbers?” Harley sneakily watched as Peter’s spirit dampen.

“Thanks, but I’m not exactly sure what I want to do yet unlike these guys.” She gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Maybe next time.”

“Okay.” Paolo smiled kindly. “Alright, bye guys and thanks for considering Columbia.”

“Bye! Thanks again!” They all waved as they walked towards the gates.

“Thanks for letting me come along.” MJ said as they got past the gates

“You’re welcome, Michelle.” Harley smiled at her. “It was fun.”

“Oh, you can call me MJ.” She smirked.

“Okay, MJ. Are you going by subway too?”

“Nah, I have somewhere else to go.” 

“Me too,” Ned said as he looked up from his phone. “Sorry Peter, my mom wanted to meet up somewhere near here and she’s on the way. Rain-check on the Avengers Compound Lego set?”

“Yeah, it’s okay.” Peter assured him.

“Okay then, take care ya’ll.” Harley waved at them.

“Bye guys! Bye, Peter!” MJ and Peter shyly waved at each other before she walked away. 

“Bye, guys!” Ned and Harley fist-bumped then he did this special handshake he had with Peter before he crossed Broadway. Harley and Peter were on their way towards the subway when he noticed Peter’s still a bit sullen.

“Relax, she didn’t give him her number.” Harley smiled when Peter looked at him like a deer in the headlights.

“W-w-what do you-what do you mean?” Peter fidgeted. “It’s-it’s really fine if she wants to give her number to other guys. I mean, she’s a perfectly capable and strong woman and she’s pretty and smart so I’m sure other guys would-”

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! For someone with a Peter Tingle, you’re dense!” Harley laughed when Peter gave him a flabbergasted look.

“Where did you-argh!” Peter’s groan only made Harley laugh more. “Maaaaaay!” He whined. “Man, please stop using that name.”

“Oh come on, we can’t use the other name in public. Besides, May coined it and I don’t want to break her heart by not using the name she prefers.” Peter glared at Harley’s shit-eating grin.

“It doesn’t even work the way you think it works.” Peter crossed his arms like a petulant child.

“Well it should,” Harley said as he fished out his MetroCard from his pocket, “because then you would know that she likes you too.”

“She does?” Peter suddenly stopped walking and caused a commotion behind him.

“Hey! Watch it kid!” The man behind him shouted.

“Sorry, sorry…” Peter held Harley’s arm and led them to the side to avoid foot traffic. “You think she likes me?”

“Dude, it’s obvious and Ned agrees with me.” Peter looked like he got his mind blown. Harley decided to give him a serious advice. “Peter, you said it yourself, you think MJ’s an amazin’ woman and other guys would like her too. So get a move on before someone else takes the opportunity or before she thinks you don’t like her back. Fortune favors the bold.”

“Where did you get that?” Peter smiled.

“From Tony actually. He does give great one liners.” They both sniggered.

“Maybe I should text her and-,” Peter stopped as he opened his phone. Harley frowned as he saw the guy’s face turned pale.

“What?! What is it?” _Was there an emergency?! Was it May?!_

“Oh, shit! No, No… Nonononono…”

“Damn it, Parker! What?!” Harley demanded. Peter looked up at him with fear in his eyes.

“I ghosted Mr. Stark!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t study at Columbia or study Mechanical Engineering so researching for this chapter was fun. I learned a lot!
> 
> You can book a campus tour in Columbia [here](https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/visit/tours/campus) and an engineering tour [here](https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/visit/tours/engineering). For a virtual tour, click [here](https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/visit/virtual-tours).
> 
> I also relied on this video - [Day In The Life of a Columbia University Student (Mechanical Engineer)](https://youtu.be/KAnLzPvVW64) \- for the lab scene.
> 
> “Fortune favors the bold” - Tony gave this advice to Peter in [Spidey (2015 - 2016) Issue #6](https://comicstore.marvel.com/Spidey-2015-2016-6/digital-comic/41532?r=1).
> 
> Oh and, Tom Holland [accidentally ghosted RDJ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzNVdEt_woI).


	5. Planting Seeds for a Legacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Previously:**
> 
>  
> 
> After Peter, Harley, MJ and Ned’s campus tour at Columbia University, Peter found out he accidentally ghosted Tony Stark.
> 
> \---
> 
> I’m really sorry for the long wait. I have a lot planned for this series and I felt overwhelmed so I thought I’ll just write at least one section at a time (sometimes one scene at a time) to slowly chip at it. And then that news of Spidey leaving the MCU dropped and I was so devastated to the point that I can’t even read MCU fanfiction. I can’t write anything for that universe that I drowned myself in my backlog of Marvel comics instead. At least in Earth-616, Tony and Peter are in the same universe.
> 
> What lifted my spirits up were those pics of [Tom and RDJ](https://www.instagram.com/p/B1fUPgblShf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link). Despite what happened, those two are still close. Then I saw this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7XHx-4XNAQ) of the other Marvel casts; they’re still a family. It’s reassuring.
> 
> So, here you go, a new chapter. I’m sorry for the mistakes. I didn’t want to read through it as often as I used to before ‘cause I just want to update this as soon as I could.
> 
> Updates here on out are still going to be slow but do not worry, I will keep updating this series. Just give me time.

After rounds of laughter and panic, the boys stood at the platform of the 116th station, waiting for a train home. Harley watched as Peter walked in circles in front of him as he thought of a way to apologize to Tony. 

“Relax, I’m sure he’s not mad.” He said as he leaned on the nearest wall, his hands in his pockets. “Besides, you said it yourself, if it was an emergency, he would’ve called again. And, he didn’t.”

"I hung up on him before and he was really pissed!"

"Was that the ferry incident? Don't worry about it. He's just dramatic."

“Still, do I text him?” Peter stopped pacing to look back at Harley with uncertainty. “Or maybe it’s better to call? Or maybe should I call Happy instead?”

“I have an idea.” Harley pulled out his phone.

“What are you doing?” Peter walked closer.

“I’m calling- Hey, Tony!” He waved as Tony’s image appeared on his phone. “How was the mission?”

“Hey, kid. Just got settled in for a bit of R&R. The mission was tedious and boring! Vision can finish it on his own but then Ross wanted to be thorough, yadda, yadda, yadda… I don't wanna talk about it. How about you? How’s Tennessee?” Tony asked before he sipped his coffee.

“Oh, the usual. Guess, who’s with me.” Harley grinned then tilted the phone so both him and Peter can be seen.

“H-hi Mr. Stark.” Peter sheepishly waved. Tony spurted coffee all over his desk.

“Eeeeewww!” Peter exclaimed while Harley barked a laugh.

“What the hell Tones!” A voice complained from off screen.

“Was that Rhodey?” Harley wheezed.

“Yeah. Why are you- What- Where are you?” Tony demanded. Harley tilted his phone again so Tony could see the sign that said “Columbia” beside them.

“Since when were you in New York?” Tony was bewildered.

“Three days ago.”

“Where are you even staying?”

“At the Parkers.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?!”

“You were on a mission.” Harley shrugged. "And then, I forgot. Pepper knows though."

"Why didn't she tell me?!"

"Maybe she forgot?" Harley provided.

“I’m sorry.” Peter looked like a kicked puppy.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. What are you kids doing in Columbia?”

“We were on a campus tour. So when you called Peter, we were in the middle of that.”

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to ghost you, Mr. Stark.” Peter didn’t let up with the puppy-dog eyes and it was effective. Harley watched as Tony's face softened. _Damn, we can weaponize that._

“It’s okay, Pete.” Tony sighed. “What about MIT?”

“What _about_ MIT?” Harley frowned.

“Why check out Columbia when you’re both going to MIT?”

“Since when did we decide we’re going to MIT?” Harley looked at Peter. Peter shrugged in return.

“MIT’s the best school for your skills and intellect. So of course, you’re going there.”

“What if we _don’t_ want to go to MIT?” Harley challenged with a smirk and a single eyebrow raised. Tony let out an exaggerated gasped, his hand on his chest. Harley rolled his eyes.

“Did you hear that honey bear?” Tony called out to Rhodey who was behind the camera.

“Tones, they have every right to choose which school they want to go.” Rhodey’s exasperation was evident in his tone. “And damn it, wipe the table!”

“You know what?” Tony looked back at the camera with a stern glare. “You’re only saying that because you haven’t fully checked it out yet. When’s your flight back?”

“Umm, Sunday noon.”

“Okay, good. Peter, do you have classes on Friday?”

“Uh, no.” Peter answered, confused.

“Perfect! Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll pick up both of you at the Parkers. Bring enough stuff for a two night stay. We’re going to Massachusetts.” Peter was about to ask something but he was cut off. “I’ll ask May for you, don’t worry Pete. See you tomorrow. End call.”

“Well,” Harley sighed as he pocketed his phone, “I guess we’re going on a road trip.”

\---

Harley had been on many trips with Tony before, usually for conferences and other official Stark Industries events, mostly at MIT but Tony’s right, he hadn’t toured the school. The most he’d seen of the university was the Killian Court, Lobby 10 and the Kresge Auditorium where his mentor held his talks. Also, most of the time, Harley was either just at the background, backstage or at an SI booth and so there was a lack of face to face interaction with important MIT people.

He’s a bit hesitant to tour MIT with Tony though because, well, he’s Tony Stark and what came with him was his, for lack of a better term, extra-ness. Harley won’t be there as a regular student looking for a suitable university. Nooo… With Tony with him, he’s this genius, billionaire, superhero’s intern and that put a lot of pressure on him. He already dreaded the introductions he would surely get from department heads. The small chance of being another face in a sea of faces in MIT was close to zero after this tour with Tony Stark.

He looked at Peter with envy as they waited for Tony and Rhodey at the front of the apartment building. Unlike him, Peter was genuinely very excited. He got his hands in his pockets, an attempt to minimize his fidgeting, yet he still seemed to be vibrating with barely contained energy.

“Can’t wait?” He smirked.

“Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah.” Peter sheepishly smiled. “I haven’t been to MIT before.”

“Oh,” he nodded, “it's cool; at least the auditorium and the few lecture halls I’ve seen. I never got to explore though. Tony usually just packs up and leaves after his talks.”

“He takes you with him?” Peter’s grin was infectious.

“Yeah. Last time was when he demonstrated BARF.” Harley remembered that day. Instead of traveling back to New York with Tony as he usually did, he left with Happy. Tony had an emergency meeting with the Avengers. He only found out days after that it was about the Sokovia Accords.

“Oh, you're still here!” They turned around and saw May walk out of the building. “I thought you guys already left.”

“Traffic.” Peter raised his phone. “Mr. Stark said they’ll be here in a few.”

“Okay, they called me over at the soup kitchen. FEAST needed help for tonight. You told your mom where you’re gonna be, Harley?” She turned to Harley and gave him a parental look.

“Yeah. Ma knows.”

“Good. Oh, they’re here.” And sure enough, a gray Audi A8 just rounded the corner and parked in front of the apartment. The driver’s tinted window rolled down to reveal Tony Stark and James Rhodes.

“Hey, May!” Tony smirked.

“Hey!” She waved.

“Sorry we’re late,” Rhodey leaned towards the open window, “ _someone_ said he knows a shortcut.”

“It _was_ a shortcut!”

“Tony, you deliberately didn’t listen to me or FRIDAY!”

“Alright, boys.” May interrupted what would surely be a long banter. “You take care, okay?” She hugged Peter then, to his surprise, Harley too. “Text me when you get there.”

“We will.” Harley hugged her back.

“Come on, Thing One and Two. Get in the car.” Tony gestured towards the back seat.

“Tony,” she warned as both boys climbed in the Audi, her hands on her hips, “drive carefully. You have precious cargo with you.”

“Maaaay…” Peter whined while Harley snorted.

“Don’t worry, May. We can get a booster seat for the Spider-baby on the way there.” Tony grinned while Rhodey chuckled. Peter groaned loudly as he covered his face with his hands. Harley, on the other hand, laughed and was delighted he’s no longer the youngest one therefore not the subject of teasing.

“Alright then,” May giggled, “have fun. Bye! See you Saturday!"

“Bye!” Peter called out.

“Bye, May!” Harley called out as Tony pulled the car out of parking.

“So, how was school Pete?” Tony asked, a little grateful that there were less traffic on the road.

“Normal. Same old thing. Nothing exciting.” Peter shrugged.

“No upcoming decathlon matches?”

“Nope. Though MJ still drills us like there’s no tomorrow but, it’s cool.”

“Speaking of MJ,” Harley could see a glint of mischief in Tony’s eyes through the rearview mirror; he knew what would come next, “kissed her already, have you?” 

“Mr. Stark! That’s-what are you-hey!” Peter squawked and sputtered, face blushed red, while the rest of the people in the car guffawed. Harley received a betrayed look from Peter that he held up his hands to placate him.

“Hey, that ain’t from me but I’ve been tellin’ ya’ll it’s obvious.”

“May told us, Pete.” Tony wheezed.

“‘ _US_ ’?!”

“Me, Pepper, Rhodey and Happy.” Tony gleefully informed.

“There’s a group chat.” Rhodey added and Peter groaned.

“Somebody kill me now.” Peter moaned.

“Kid,” Rhodey shifted in his seat to look back at Peter behind him, “it comes with being the youngest in our rag-tag weird family. Ask Harley, he knows.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve endured years of teasin’, pinched cheeks and noogies since I was 10. I thought helping them maintain their tech would earn me some respect and boy, was I wrong. Now,” Harley let out an exaggerated satisfied sigh, “looks like I finally graduated. Thanks, Pete.”

“I hate you guys.” Peter scowled.

“No, you don’t.” Tony flashed him a smug smirk via the rear view mirror. 

\---

It was an hour in when there was a comfortable lull in the car as FRIDAY played Tony’s playlist on the car stereo. Harley was content looking out the window when he received a text. He looked at the message and got confused. It came from Peter.

_just play along_

He looked at the guy questioningly but all he received was an impish smile. A few minutes later, he finally knew what Peter had planned.

AC/DC’s Shoot to Thrill blasted from the speakers and, as evidence that it was one of his favorite songs, Tony drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. When Peter exclaimed, “I love The Ramones!”, Tony went comically still as a statue. 

Harley let out a gasp and added, “Dude! It’s KISS!” Rhodey, bless his heart, finally let out a cackle he’d been holding since Peter declared his love for The Ramones.

“Oh no, you don’t! FRIDAY, take the wheel.” Tony let go of the steering wheel as the car went on autopilot then he shifted to face the backseat where two teens belly laughed at Tony’s reaction. “Now, listen here you little shits.”

“Tones,” Rhodey said between laughs, “you can’t blame the kids for not knowing Black Sabbath.” Tony’s gasp and wide surprised eyes led to another round of uncontrolled laughs from the others.

“Et tu, Rhodey!”

“It’s okay, Mr. Stark,” Peter said as he wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve, “we can just watch that old movie School of Rock.”

“No, no, no, no. You’ll get your rock music education from me.” Both teens groaned as protest. “Hey, you brought this on yourselves. Now, it all started with Chuck Berry from the 50’s-”

As Tony droned on and on about the history of rock - music samples helpfully provided by FRIDAY - Harley narrowed his eyes at Peter. _This is your fault._ Peter just gave him a sheepish grin.

\---

After around four hours of travel time, interspersed with Queen and Abba sing-alongs, and food stops courtesy of Peter’s potent pleading Bambi eyes, they finally reached Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harley woke up from his nap just in time to see Tony turn right towards a gray building’s driveway.

“Wake up kids, we’re here.” Tony parked the car near a set of glass doors that led towards what looked like a luxurious lobby. “Harley? Peter?”

“I’m up.” He stretched as much as he could then shook Peter awake. “Hey, Pete. We’re here.” Peter woke up and stretched his arms.

“Where are we?” Peter said before he yawned.

“100 Landsdowne.” Rhodey answered as he removed his seat belt and got out the car.

“Wow!” Peter was amazed as he climbed out of the car and looked up at the building. “Cool hotel.”

“Apartment, not a hotel.” Tony clarified as he opened the trunk for their bags.

“You rented an apartment for us just for two nights?!” Peter gaped, backpack in his arms. “Mr. Stark, that’s too expensive!”

“Okay first, I’m a billionaire, remember? Don’t worry about the money. Second,” Tony smirked, “I own this building. The penthouse is for my use.”

“Mr. Stark!” A man in a black suit ran out of the building with a wide accommodating smile. “The penthouse is ready for you. I hope the trip wasn’t too tiring.”

“Hey, Isaac! It’s been a while!” Tony grinned and clapped the man’s shoulder. “Thanks for getting things ready. You remember Rhodey, right?” Isaac nodded then smiled at Rhodey. “And these are my protégés, Harley Keener and Peter Parker.” Harley, used to being introduced by Tony in such an extra way, waved while Peter blushed and shyly smiled. “This is Isaac Arnold. He’s the building’s head. ”

“Pleasure to meet you!” Isaac offered a handshake to both Harley and Peter. “I hope you enjoy your stay here at 100 Landsdowne. Mr. Stark, let me take care of the bags-”

“Don’t worry, it’s okay. We got it. Thanks.”

“Very well, please let our valet take care of your car. Marlon, please.” Another man gave a polite smile as he received the key from Tony.

“Alright guys, let’s go. We got a full day tomorrow.” Rhodey herded the tired group towards the elevators. Harley started to feel sleepy again by the time they walked in the penthouse. If he was a little bit more awake, he would’ve admired the pristine furnishings, or the amazing view courtesy of the floor length windows. He only vaguely noticed the amazingly furnished kitchen. _Definitely gonna cook tomorrow morning._

There were two bedrooms with a king-sized bed each and they automatically picked where to sleep. Tony went to one room with Rhodey while Harley followed Peter to another. There was not enough energy in him to even brush his teeth. As soon as Harley’s head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.

\---

The next morning, Harley woke up early. The automatic blinds rolled up, the light filtered through the windows and hit his face. At the other side of the bed, he heard and felt Peter groan, shift and pull the blanket up to cover his head, a successful attempt to escape the sun’s rays and went back to sleep. Harley stood and stretched, took a shower and mentally thought of what he could cook for breakfast.

He walked out of the room and towards the kitchen. As he expected, he was the only person up. He opened the refrigerator and gaped at the items within. There were enough ingredients for five days in it which, in Harley’s estimate, was enough for three days with two adults, a normal teenager and another teenager with a black hole in his stomach. He smiled, strapped an apron on his waist and got to work.

\---

Harley just finished a plate of fried, crispy bacon when he heard frantic shuffling from one of the bedrooms. He turned around and saw Tony, with wild bed-head and hastily donned bathrobe, frantically strode towards the kitchen.

“Peter! Kid, I know you meant well but turn off the damn stove! Remember what happened at the compound when you-” Tony abruptly stopped as he saw the dining table full of unburnt and tantalizing breakfast and the kitchen intact. “What the-”

“G’mornin’ Tony!” Harley smiled and placed the plate of bacon on the table. “We got bacon, ham, french toast, plain toast, eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, vinaigrette salad, milk, coffee and orange juice.”

“You made all these?” Tony looked amazed at the food.

“Yup.”

“How did you-”

“Mornin’” Peter yawned and sleepily walked towards the dining table. He sat on a chair and loaded his plate unaware of Tony’s surprised face. “Eggs benedict! Nice! Thanks, Harley.”

“You’re welcome. There’s more hollandaise here.” He placed a gravy boat full of yellow sauce by the eggs benedict. “Just in case you want to drown yours.”

“Thanks!”

“Now, wait a hot damn minute.” Tony raised a hand. “Since when did you learn to cook?”

“Since I spent years takin’ care of my sister while Ma’s at work.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“You didn’t ask.” Harley shrugged as he piled food on his plate. “Whoever did your groceries bought high-quality goods. They deserve a raise.” He smiled as he drank orange juice.

“I’ll tell Isaac. These look good, kid.” Tony said before he took a bite from his french toast. “Wow! That’s-that’s really good!”

“Right?” Peter grinned as he refilled his plate with food.

“Whoa! Steady there, you don’t wanna get sick eating too fast.” Tony chuckled.

“Where’s Rhodey?” Harley asked as they heard the front door open and in came the man himself.

“Do I smell bacon?” Rhodey called out.

“Yeah. Just in time for breakfast, honey bear!”

“Tony, please tell me you didn’t attempt to cook breakfast.” Rhodey sighed and walked closer to the group. “I don’t want a version of your five hours omelette.”

“Five hours?!” Peter sputtered and almost spilled his milk while Tony groaned.

“Yeah, ask Pepper.” Rhodey smirked at Tony. “Wow, would you look at that! This is definitely not Tony’s work.” Harley chuckled at Tony’s exasperated expression.

“Harley made breakfast. He’s really good.” Peter bit into his french toast.

“Good job, kid.” Rhodey ruffled Harley’s hair. “Now, hand me that ham. I’m famished.”

\---

Harley still could not believe his mentor’s plan. As he looked at Peter beside him, it seemed he felt the same.

“Okay, let me get this straight,” Harley called out to the two men in front of him as they walked across Killian Court, “ya’ll want all of us to go in MIT incognito, walk around and sit in classes?”

“Nope. I said we’re gonna go incognito and we’re gonna walk around while you two sat in a class or two.” Tony gleefully answered, slight skip on his steps.

“But, isn’t that illegal?” Peter was flabbergasted.

“No, it’s not.” Rhodey answered with a grin on his face. “There are tourists in the school all the time and you two look like you study here. No one will find out.”

“I’m sorry but I thought you and Pepper are the voices of reason in our rag-tag weird family. What happened to James Rhodes the disciplined military man?” Harley’s astonished gaze seemed to fuel the boyish grin on Rhodey’s face.

“What can I say? Being back here brings back memories of fun, simpler times.” Rhodey shrugged.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Tony fist-bumped with Rhodey.

“Okay, fine.” Harley stopped walking. “But is this your idea of incognito? A baseball cap and dark sunglasses? Really?”

“What? It works.” Tony looked around as they all stopped in the middle of the court.

“Sorry Mr. Stark but you just look like you at a baseball game.”

“It works for Rhodey.”

“He’s not Tony Stark.” Harley reasoned.

“Fine, do you want me to go around introducing you guys to the professors, deans and all the VIPs at MIT?”

“Well, no…”

“Good, because my dad used to parade me around and I hated it.” Tony sighed. “Look, I’m not saying networking and connections are bad. It’s very important but today, I just want you kids to see what it’s like to study here and experience what classes are like without anyone knowing you’re with me. That’s the most genuine way I know. No parades, no smooching… Just the real thing.”

Harley and Peter looked at each other and smiled.

“Okay.”

“We can do that.” 

“Alright, let’s go.” Tony led the way up to Lobby 10. “And don’t worry. With Pete’s spidey sense, maybe we can get a heads up if someone’s about to notice me.”

“Actually, it’s Pe-mmm…” Peter suddenly covered Harley’s mouth his hand.

“You can count on me, Mr. Stark.” Peter’s glower at Harley clearly said ‘don’t you dare say Peter Tingle!’ but, then again, Harley’s a little shit. Peter shrieked when Harley licked his palm.

“What the-Harley! Did you just-” Peter frantically wiped his palm on his jeans.

“You made it too easy!” Harley smirked at him. He then watched as Tony opened the doors of Building 10 and was bombarded by voices from a crowd instead of a silent lobby they expected.

“Huh.” Tony walked in and looked around. “Well, how about that.”

“Tony,” Rhodey silently berated, “you didn’t check if there’s gonna be an event, did you?”

“Nope.”

“Great.” Rhodey deadpanned.

Apparently, there was a science fair at Lobby 10 and they were in the middle of presentations. Harley would’ve enjoyed looking around the amazing projects except the people around them turned and, as expected, recognized Tony Stark. The murmurs of ‘Is that Tony Stark?’ rose and a man in a gray suit that looked like a professor gawked at him.

“Go!” Tony whispered at them as the professor walked towards them. “We’ll distract him.” Harley and Peter didn’t need telling twice and they powerwalked their way out of there while they pretended they were just one of the students. They were a yard or two away when Tony removed his sunglasses and cap with flourish, opened his arms and declared, “You got me!” complete with his trademark Tony Stark smirk.

When they successfully got to the Infinite Corridor, Harley received a text from Rhodey.

_we’re ok. will let you know if we get away. just use the credit card tony gave you._

Harley snorted and showed the message to Peter. “‘If’?” He asked.

“Yup. Tony is MIT’s Beyoncé so, that would take a day. Alright,” Harley pocketed his phone and looked around. “Good thing we got here while classes are ongoing or else, we would’ve got trampled by foot traffic. Where do you wanna go next?”

“Umm, go to a class?” 

“Okay. Let’s find one that’s interestin’.”

\---

They did find one about Artificial Intelligence instructed by a portly, kind-looking man. They slipped in and stayed for over thirty minutes. Within those few minutes, they learned and understood the concepts thoroughly. They enjoyed it so much that both boys got bolder and decided to sit in more lectures. They went to a Statistical Mechanics of Polymers class that Peter enjoyed very much. They also went to a class on Adaptive Control, a topic that coincidentally Harley needed for his personal robotics project. They both made sure they came in and leave when everyone was too preoccupied to notice and, miraculously, it worked every time.

Around lunch, as expected, Tony and Rhodey still could not get away from the professors and other heads at MIT that they received another message to let them know.

_Can’t get away. Just get lunch, keep exploring. Let me know if you run into problems._

Harley showed Peter the message from Tony as they walked towards Steam Cafe at Building 7.

“So, what do you think? Wanna go to more lectures?” He asked while he received his phone back from Peter.

“How about we go to other buildings? We can enter with other students.”

“Okay, cool.”

After a lunch of sandwiches - and a few minutes of amusement as they watched a guy push around a tank of nitrogen - they decided to go to Building 26 and, as one, sneaked in the MIT Game Lab as soon as they saw the arcade cabinets and computers running games. They played a game or two when someone tapped Harley’s shoulder.

“Hi, want to try out our game?” A petite girl with tablets approached them. “You would have to fill up a survey after though. Would that be okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” Harley watched Tony for years and could effortlessly put up a confident persona. Peter on the other hand seemed to look like a slightly frightened puppy.

“Thanks. I’m Kara, and you are?”

“Harley, and this here is Peter.” Peter sheepishly waved as Kara waved too.

“Oh, you’re southern.” Kara giggled but then looked mortified a second after. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend-”

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s the accent, right?”

“Yeah.” Kara blushed and bit her lower lip.

“Kara!” Another girl hollered from the far side of the room. “Hurry up! They said Tony Stark is at ESG!”

“You guys go ahead!” Kara turned back to the boys. “I’m so sorry.”

“No worries.” Harley charmingly smiled and watched as Kara blushed more.

“Thanks. Anyway,” she handed them a tablet each, “just tap on start and finish the game. The survey will automatically start after. Once you’re done, bring me the tablets. I’m just gonna be right over there.” Kara pointed at a far table.

“Okay.”

“Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome!” Harley smiled as she lingered a little before she turned around and walked towards her group’s table.

“Wow!” Peter whispered and looked at him with admiration. “How did you do that?”

“Pete, bro, you got your Bambi eyes, I got my southern accent.” Harley said as he played the game. It was a single stage of a turn-based game that reminded him of Child of Light.

“Bambi eyes?” Harley paused the game and was astonished as he looked at Peter’s genuinely confused face.

“Seriously? You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Okay,” Harley put his arm around Peter’s shoulders, “if you ask someone for something and you look at them like you’re a kicked puppy, most of the time, you get what you want.”

“That’s not true!” Peter scowled.

“Yes, it is.” Harley removed his arm from Peter’s shoulders and continued playing the game.

“No, it’s not.”

“Dude, it works. That’s why I always make you ask Tony to stop for a bite or a break.” Harley smiled when Peter didn’t try to refute it. “Mine only works on women. Yours work on almost anybody except those with cold, dead hearts.”

“Huh.” Peter contemplated for a few seconds before he continued with the game. At first, Harley thought he unleashed a monster but then again, it’s Peter. He’ll most likely feel guilty a second after he consciously used those pleading eyes for something selfish.

\---

After they finished the game’s survey and returned the tablets to Kara. They decided to go to the trippy looking Stata Center. As they walked through Student Street, Harley received a message from Tony.

_Where are you?_

_Stata Center_

He sent the reply. Peter moved closer to read the conversation.

 _Perfect! Go to the amphitheater. There’s someone you gotta meet._ The boys looked at each other and wondered.

“Maybe Tony will introduce us to a professor.” Harley pocketed his phone. They walked past a cafe and out the building.

“Or a researcher.” Peter said as he bounced on his feet like an excited puppy.. 

“That too.” Harley loved walking around MIT. He felt like he already belonged there but at the same time he had this overwhelming fear; the fear of change.

“There you are.” Tony waved at them to come closer. At the bottom seat of the amphitheater, they heard three people laughing. Tony sat comfortably while Rhodey stood in front of him. Beside Tony sat a beautiful caramel-skinned woman with ebony hair and kind eyes. “Kids, I want you to meet a former classmate and a very good friend of mine, Dr. Amara Perera. She’s a biophysicist, a researcher and professor here. This is Harley Keener,” Harley shook her hand, “and Peter Parker.” Peter shook her hand as well. “They’re my proteges.”

“Nice to meet you two.” Dr. Perera gave them a warm, friendly smile. “Blink twice if Tony’s a horrible mentor and you’re here against your will.” Peter froze, eyes wide and unblinking while Harley, with exaggeration, blinked twice.

“Hey!” Tony protested as Rhodey and Dr. Perera laughed.

“Your secret’s safe with me Harley.” She winked at him. “I know how Tony is.”

“What?” Tony asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Incorrigible.” She answered with a smug face.

“I’m not!”

“I still remember that sodium drop prank that almost got me in trouble.”

“Oh please, like you’re not the one that provided the sodium in the first place.” Tony rolled his eyes. 

“Excuse me? I did not.” She crossed her arms. “Rhodey asked where they’re stored while, unbeknownst to me at the time, you eavesdropped. You two are such troublemakers!”

“Leave me out of this.” Rhodey laughed.

“And, both of you released that flying pod-”

“It was an X-wing.” Tony corrected.

“You built a working X-wing model?!” Peter squealed.

“Fine,” Dr. Perera sighed, “an X-wing - underneath the Great Dome that no one could catch so the staff just gave up and waited for it to run out of batteries.” She then looked at Peter. “It flew around Lobby 10 for a month.”

“Whoa!” Peter’s awestruck look made Harley chuckle.

“I gotta say, honey bear, that was our best work.” Tony and Rhodey fist-bumped as Dr. Perera sighed and shook her head.

“Harley, Peter, please don’t take after Tony.” Despite her words, she had a teasing smile on her face.

“Hey, they’re my kids.” Tony pointed at the teens. “Get your own.” Dr. Perera chuckled.

“How’s MIT? You like what you’ve seen?” She asked them both.

“There were a lot of interestin’ classes.” Harley grinned while Peter nodded.

“They were awesome, Dr. Perera!”

“Please, just Amara is fine.”

“Oh, okay. Dr. Amara.” Peter politely said, his eyes wide while the adults smiled fondly.

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg.” Amara’s added. “We have a lot of activities and collaborations in our programs that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Maybe Tony will bring you guys back here for the festivals and other events?” She turned towards Tony.

“We’ll see. It depends on their schedules.”

“Ah, right.” She nodded. “Just let me know maybe I’ll let you guys take a peek in my lab on your next visit.” Harley looked at Peter and saw in his eyes the same excitement he felt.

“We would be delighted, ma’am.” For a brief moment, Harley could envision himself in a lab working on a machine or even assisting Dr. Amara.

“Oh, you boys are so polite. Why in the world did you get Tony as a mentor?” She cooed and joked. “You can do better.”

“Umm, excuse me?” Tony’s indignant face was funny.

“I’ve been asking the same thing Amara.” Rhodey’s comment made the whole group - except Tony - laugh.

“Hahaha, very funny.” Tony shook his head. “Well, we gotta go. We’re expected somewhere.” He winked at Amara as he stood..

“Ah, right,” she looked excited as she followed suit, “I wish I could go with you but I have a class in twenty minutes. You boys will love it!” Harley and Peter looked questioningly at Tony but they only received a knowing smirk.

“Alright, it’s great to see you again Amara.” Rhodey hugged her tightly. “Keep in touch.”

“I will.” She hugged him back. “And goodness me, you two take care.” She turned towards Tony after she let Rhodey go and hugged him too. “You and your superhero adventures!”

“We will.” Tony smiled at her affectionately as he stepped back. “Let’s go kids.”

“Bye and thank you, Dr. Amara.” Peter shyly waved at her.

“It was a pleasure meetin’ you, ma’am.” Harley a toothy smile.

“Likewise.” She waved as they walked away.

They were about a few yards away when Tony suddenly put his arm around Harley and gave him a playful noogie.

“Ow, what the hell?!” Harley protested and pushed his way out of Tony’s arm. “Damn it! My hair!” He tried to fix his hair with his hands.

“I know what you did, you little shit.” Tony narrowed his eyes at him.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout.”

“It’s your,” Tony pointed at him, “your...”

“Southern charm?” Harley smirked. Peter sniggered as Rhodey chortled.

“Politeness! You’re not polite. If someone’s polite, that’s Peter! It’s like it’s embedded in his DNA or something.”

“Hey…?” Peter looked like he wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not. Rhodey just pat him on the back.

“I’m supposed to be the charming one.” Tony continued.

“Then I guess I’m just way more charming than you, and more handsome.”

“Oh, that’s it!” Tony was about to give Harley another noogie so he bolted away. “Get back here!”

“Catch me if you can, old man!”

\---

After a few minutes of chasing and huffing, mainly from Tony who denied he’s winded, the group got in the car and was off to go somewhere the boys do not yet know.

“Where are we going Mr. Stark?” Peter asked as he looked out the car window.

“It’s a surprise,” Tony’s smug face turned slightly towards the back seat, “but I know it’s gonna be memorable.”

“Is it Disneyland memorable or videos-of-your-tests-when-you-made-Mark-2 memorable?” Rhodey laughed at Harley’s remark while Peter gasped.

“There were videos?” Peter groaned. “And no one showed me?”

“It was supposed to be in a secure folder.” Tony glared at Harley via the rearview mirror. “But a gremlin got his hands on ‘em so I deleted them.”

“Awww, man!”

“Don’t worry, Pete. I got a copy.”

“Yes!” Peter and Harley fist-bumped.

“What the hell?”

“That’s right. Encrypted, protected in layers and filed under ‘Blackmail Materials’ in my own high-security server.” Harley made sure Tony saw his shit-eating grin. “You can’t delete them.”

“Is that a challenge, Tater Tot?” Tony said with narrowed eyes.

“Only if you want, Mechanic.”

“Oh, you’re on!”

\---

As soon as Harley saw the blue and gray logo and sign on a building’s lawn, he sat up straight with uncontained excitement.

“No way!” He blurted, wide eyed and looked at the adults’ smiling faces. “No freaking way!”

“What?” Peter looked at where Harley pointed. “Are you freaking kidding me?!” He squealed.

“Nope.” Tony turned left towards a parking lot. “Welcome to Boston Dynamics!” Tony raised his eyebrows as both kids pumped their fists in the air and bounced on their seats. “Rhodey, should I be offended that the kids looked more excited coming here than when I gave them a tour of Stark Industries?”

“Sorry to tell you, Tones.” Rhodey looked at him with pity. “Looks like you’re a washed-up has-been now.” 

“Rude.” Tony said in a deadpan voice and parked the car. “Alright, everyone out.” While the adults took their time to get out of the car, the kids almost stumbled out due to excitement.

“Come on, Mr. Stark! Mr. Rhodey!”

“Coming. Jeez!” Tony snorted as he watched Peter try so badly to keep himself from running towards the building’s front door.

“Need help, old man?” Harley snickered.

“Shut up.”

“I think you need more energy for dealing with two excitable teens. You sure you’re up for this?” Rhodey clearly enjoyed the teasing directed towards Tony. He received a glare from Tony for that.

“FYI, you’re older than me.”

“Oh my god!” Peter hopped in place. “Can’t wait to meet WildCat, and SandFlea, and Atlas, and BigDog-”

“Yeah!” Despite his efforts to look cool and uninterested, Harley’s wide grin meant he failed miserably. “But there’s one bot I really want to see up close.”

“SPOT!” Both boys exclaimed at the same time. Tony laughed.

“Let’s go then. Come on.” Tony led the way towards the front door. As they got in, a woman came to greet them.

“Mr. Stark, welcome to Boston Dynamics.” The woman offered a handshake. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sir.”

“Please, just call me Tony.” Tony shook her hand.

“Okay, Tony.” She giggled. “I’m Jenny Randall, Advanced Robotic Engineer.”

“Nice to meet you, Jenny. I assume you’re familiar with my best friend Col. James Rhodes.”

“Yes I am.” She shook Rhodey’s hand. “Hi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s great meeting you too.”

“And these are my protégés: Peter Parker and Harley Keener.” Tony presented them and both boys shook her hand. “They’re both interested in robotics and I hope you could show them around.”

“Of course! Right this way, please.”

\---

Tony was right. Their time in Boston Dynamics was truly memorable. It was fun walking around the facility with Jenny. She showed them all the different bots. She let the teens play with them. She taught them how the bots work. Harley and Peter learned a lot from her such as their design, construction and testing processes. Jenny even let them test out a few bots just like how they did it on those viral videos on YouTube. Peter was hesitant to push them around to test their balance though.

_“Come on, Parker. Push him.”_

_“But, Mr. Stark…” Peter whined. “He looks sad.”_

_“Peter, we’re making sure his gyroscope and sensors works. It’s for his own good. Now, push him.”_

They even watched Spot dance! Peter took lots of pictures and videos that Harley’s sure Ned’s gonna flip out and sure enough, as soon as they got in the car to go back to 100 Landsdowne, Peter’s phone blew up with notifications.

“Damn Pete! Is your phone having a seizure?” Tony huffed a laugh while he drove back to the apartment. 

“Sorry, that was Ned. He likes the videos and the pictures.”

“Maybe next time, we can bring Ned with us when we go back.”

“Really? That would be awesome, Mr. Stark!”

“Good.” Tony then looked at Harley via the rearview mirror. “How about you Harley? Wanna take Faith with us next time.”

“Well…” He really thought of it but… “she’s not really the type that’s into robots and technical stuff.”

“Okay, if you’re sure. So, what do you guys want for dinner?” 

“I think there’s a Thai restaurant near the apartment,” Rhodey suggested, “or how about that one we saw yesterday-”

“Umm, can we-can we have dinner at the apartment instead?” Peter asked.

“Yeah sure, we can get take out-”

“No I mean, I want Harley to cook.” Peter looked at Harley with those blasted pleading doe-eyes and he knew Peter’s doing it on purpose. 

“Pete-”

“I know, I know you’re tired so I’ll help you and I’ll even clean the dishes after. It’s just that, it’s been a while since I’ve had a really good home-cooked meal and I’ve been spoiled for a week and I just want to make the most of time before you go home so… please?”

“Okay,” Harley sighed, “on one condition.”

“Yeah, whatever it is, I’m game.”

“Tell me what happened at the compound’s kitchen and why you’re not allowed there anymore.” If it wasn’t for FRIDAY’s guidance, the car might’ve swerved off-road what with Tony’s belly laugh.

\---

With Peter’s help, they were able to whip up a full dinner just within thirty minutes. Harley was a bit full so he decided to look at the view from their balcony while both Rhodey and Peter cleaned up and washed the dishes. As he looked over at MIT’s football and baseball field, and then on towards Charles River, he already felt at home at the university. He felt this great determination to apply. It’s an opportunity he couldn’t pass. He mentally planned and listed all the things he needed for his application, like a letter of recommendation. Harley still couldn’t believe Tony offered to help with his application.

“You make a mean quesadilla, kid.” Harley turned as Tony joined him on the balcony.

“Thanks.” Harley smiled at his mentor. They stood there and looked at the scenery for a few minutes when Tony broke the silence.

“What’s on your mind, Harley?” It took some time for Harley to respond and, frankly, he was surprised Tony didn’t demand an answer right away. It seemed Tony Stark learned some patience after all these years.

“I’m just wonderin’… I wonder why you’re doin’ this.” Harley answered. “I mean, I’m just this kid from Tennessee. Peter, I get ‘cause he’s a genius and he’s got superpowers. Me? I’m-I'm nobody.”

“Harley,” Tony frowned, “you’re not a nobody. I see potential in you. The fact that you’re able to keep up with me and help fix the Mark 42 when you were 10? That’s amazing. All you need are the right connections and resources then you’re set. I hate to see someone with a talent like yours be wasted in some secluded corner of the world. You’re gonna be great, kid. Maybe one day, you’ll even help change the world.” Tony looked at him with such faith that Harley almost choked.

“Wow!” Harley raised his eyebrows. “Thanks for the incredible pressure.” 

“Trust me, Harley.” Tony smiled smugly at him. “I’m a futurist.”

“Right. Well, thanks… for everything.”

“You’re welcome, kid.” Tony clapped a hand on Harley’s shoulder. After a few minutes of silence, Tony broke it again with a question. 

“Do you… Do you really think I’m a horrible mentor?” Harley looked at Tony and was about to tease him but stopped as he saw a very rare moment; Tony looked vulnerable and he could see a bit of insecurity in his eyes. “I mean, I’m not always around. I’m mostly hands off with you since I realized you like figuring things out on your own but, if I was wrong, I can-”

“Tony,” Harley wanted to put as much assurance as he could, “you’re the best mentor I ever had.” Tony let out a relieved sigh and nodded.

“Thanks, kid.”

“Sure! We’re connected, remember?”

“Yeah,” Tony slung an arm around Harley and pulled him in for a side hug, “we’re connected.”

\---

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, they made sandwiches on the go and they were on the road again. They’re on their way home. They travelled mostly in comfortable silence. They did try to play games but most of the time it ended in disaster. Other times they just sang along Tony’s playlist and in Peter’s case, munched on the sandwiches.

Two hours in, Rhodey frowned and looked out the window. “Tony, why are we still in the I-90? Aren’t we supposed to be in I-84?” He looked at Tony. “This better be not one of your ‘shortcuts’.” Harley sniggered when Rhodey used air quotes.

“Relax. Just a small detour. I have to check on something.” Tony answered. “You kids don’t mind right?”

“Nope.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Stark.”

“See?” Tony grinned at Rhodey. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Thirty minutes after, turned out it was more than okay. Harley gaped as Tony turned left towards a cabin by a lake. 

“We’re here. Everybody out.” Tony parked the car. Rhodey looked around then smiled.

“Is this the-” He asked.

“Yup. Like it?”

“Yeah.” Rhodey nodded. “Looks… peaceful.” Tony smiled.

“Mr. Stark, where are we?” Peter walked closer their mentor.

“This, kids, is the property I bought after Sokovia.” Tony placed his hands in his pockets. “Thought to buy Pepper a farm and retire. Well, the retiring part is a work in progress but it's here whenever we want to move in.” Tony looked at the teens then waved them towards the cabin. “Well, go on. Check it out.”

Harley grinned at Peter then they both ran towards the lake.

“Whoa! There’s a small dock and a boat!” Peter looked around. “This is so cool! It’s so quiet here. I can only hear the birds, the leaves and the water.”

“I forgot you’re a city kid.” Harley stretched his arms and took a deep breath. Long hours stuck in a car sucks. “Maybe next time you should visit me at Tennessee.”

“Hmm...”

“Hey!” Harley picked up a smooth rock. “If we find the perfect rock, you think we can skip the rock all the way to the opposite bank?” Peter looked at him as if that was the greatest idea ever. Then, as one, they both looked for the perfect rock.

“Here. This should work.” Peter threw the stone but it skipped halfway before it sank. “Or not.”

“Maybe something thinner. Try this.” Harley handed him a rock and watched as Peter threw it. It was a few yards short though. It took a few tries when finally, Peter was able to skip the rock all the way to the other side.

“YES!!!” Both boys cheered then high-fived but Harley realized something.

“Awww, damn it!” Harley facepalmed. “We forgot to take a video!”

“Crap!”

“What are you boys doing?” Tony frowned at them. “I told you to check out the cabin not just the lake.”

“Mr. Stark, we skipped a rock and it reached the opposite bank.”

“Video or it didn’t happen.”

“We, umm… forgot to take a video.” Peter scratched the back of his head.

“Wait.” Harley pulled out his phone. “Let me set this up then we try again.”

“This I gotta see.” Tony clapped his hands and rubbed them together before he called out, “Hey Rhodey, we’re skipping rocks.”

It took the combined efforts from all four of them to find the perfect rocks. It took more tries before Peter could skip them all the way to the opposite bank. Then after some time, it became a contest as to who could make their stone bounce the most. Tony got frustrated that he wore his glasses and used FRIDAY to calculate the right angle and speed to skip stones. Harley scowled and let Tony know it was incredibly unfair. 

“Once I make myself a stone skipping machine, it’s over for you bitches!” Harley got a reprimand for that. It was fun though and he was happy he got to spend time with his friends. 

In the back of his mind, even as he travelled back home to Rose Hill, he thought maybe he could schedule another week long - or even longer - trip back to New York. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the opportunity. Nevertheless, a few months later, he was flabbergasted when he opened the door of his workshop and saw a grinning face of a friend.

“Peter?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this scene in my head of a conversation between Tony and Rhodey as they watched Harley and Peter goofing around by the lake. I didn’t write it because I want this story to be only in Harley’s point of view. Basically, Rhodey told Tony fatherhood suits him and Tony just sputtered excuses such he’s just a mentor/babysitter.
> 
> \---
> 
> At this point, Peter and Tony’s relationship was still fairly new so Peter was cautious and didn’t want to offend Tony as much as possible. In a way, Harley’s showing Peter that Tony’s a pretty chill guy as long as the offense isn’t that huge. 
> 
> FEAST (Food, Emergency, Aid, Shelter and Training) is from the [Spider-Man PS4 game](https://marvels-spider-man.fandom.com/wiki/F.E.A.S.T.) and the [comics](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/F.E.A.S.T.).
> 
> [100 Landsdowne](https://www.100living.com/) is a real luxury apartment that’s five to seven minutes away from MIT. 
> 
> I didn’t study at MIT. All the stuff I wrote about the place was via research. These videos helped a lot:
> 
> = [What MIT Campus Looks Like Inside | MIT Campus Tour](https://youtu.be/elmZ-SFw5a4) \- The science fair at the video is actually in Lobby 7 (Rogers Building) not Lobby 10 (Maclaurin Building 10)  
> = [Hangin' Out At MIT with Cathy and Tara](https://youtu.be/Q19e4ZE5qQ4)
> 
> If you want a detailed map of MIT and their buildings (if you’re writing with it as a setting or you’re just curious), you can check out their [campus map](http://whereis.mit.edu/).
> 
> I found this [video](https://youtu.be/TjZBTDzGeGg) of a lecture on AI at MIT. It’s very interesting and the lecture Peter and Harley slipped into was like that. If you want to watch all the lectures on AI (or other subjects), you can get them [here](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-034-artificial-intelligence-fall-2010/lecture-videos/).
> 
> You can look up what classes are available at MIT [here](http://student.mit.edu/catalog/index.cgi).
> 
> MIT does teach game design at their [Game Lab](http://gamelab.mit.edu/). Oh and [Child of Light](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJzdGCgAc-c) is real and it’s an awesome game.
> 
> [Amara Perera](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amara_Perera_\(Earth-616\)) is a character from the comics. She dated Tony before she got entangled with Doctor Doom. She first appeared in [Invincible Iron Man Vol 3 Issue 1](https://www.comixology.com/Invincible-Iron-Man-2015-2016-1/digital-comic/289299?ref=c2VyaWVzL3ZpZXcvZGVza3RvcC9ncmlkTGlzdC9jb21peG9sb2d5VW5saW1pdGVk) where Tony made the [Iron Man Model 51 (Model-Prime Armor)](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Iron_Man_Armor_Model_51) which is the Iron Man model Tom’s holding in his [Instagram post](https://www.instagram.com/p/B1fUPgblShf/). If you’re a fan of RDJ and sassy Friday, you have to read this volume. Also, this is the volume where Tony told Dr. Strange they’re “awesome facial hair bros”.
> 
> The [Sodium Drop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditions_and_student_activities_at_MIT#Sodium_Drop) is when students drop a bar of sodium at the Charles River as a prank.
> 
> [Boston Dynamics](https://www.bostondynamics.com/) is a real company and you can see Spot dance [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHBcVlqpvZ8). It’s hella cute!
> 
> For the lake house, the real location is at Atlanta and available for rent at [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23018266?s=67&shared_item_type=1&virality_entry_point=1). But, in this series, I want it to be in upstate New York so I scoured Google Maps to find a lake that looked close enough to the one in the movie that’s near both NY city and MIT. I chose [Robinson Pond](https://goo.gl/maps/cbdKHcwBw686X1fb9) at Copake, NY.


End file.
